Bank of Japan has no plans to print ¥2,000 notes in fiscal 2013

For the 10th year in a row, the Bank of Japan has opted not to print ¥2,000 bank notes in fiscal 2013.

The ¥2,000 note was first issued in July 2000 to commemorate the Group of Eight summit held in Kyushu and Okinawa Prefecture. But the note has proved unpopular, mainly because many vending and automated teller machines do not accept them.

Bank notes issued by the BOJ are produced by the National Printing Bureau under a plan drawn up by the Finance Ministry. The central bank will announce shortly the number of bank notes it plans to order in fiscal 2013 from the bureau, sources said Thursday.